Although South Africa’s informal sector is small compared to other developing countries, it nevertheless provides livelihoods, employment and income for millions of workers and business owners. Almost half of informal-sector workers work in firms with employees. The annual entry of new enterprises is quite high, as is the number of informal enterprises that grow their employment. There is no shortage of entrepreneurship and desire to grow.

However, obstacles and constraints cause hardship and failure, pointing to the need for well-designed policies to enable and support the sector, rather than suppress it. The same goes for formalisation. Recognising the informal sector as an integral part of the economy, rather than ignoring it, is a crucial first step towards instituting a ‘smart’ policy approach.

The South African Informal Sector is strongly evidence- and data-driven, with substantial quantitative contributions combined with qualitative findings – suitable for an era of increased pressure for evidence-based policy-making – and utilises several disciplinary perspectives.

This South African edition of Microeconomics is essential reading for all students taking introductory economics modules on undergraduate courses throughout South Africa. It is also ideal for use with the microeconomics component of MBA courses.

The text contains updated case studies, set against a South African context to illustrate how the principles of economics relate to your life. The news articles are based on news events in South Africa along with questions to help you apply your knowledge and to build your understanding.

This text is designed to give you the confidence and ability to think like an economist.

Now firmly established as one of the leading economics principles texts in the UK and Europe, the sixth edition of Microeconomics has been fully updated.

Much revered for its friendly and accessible approach, emphasis on active learning and unrivalled support resources, this edition features brand-new new coverage of the impact of globalization, digitization and the gig economy.

Social enterprises represent a new kind of venture, dedicated to pursuing profits for owners and benefits for society. Social Enterprise Law provides tools that will allow them to raise the capital they need to flourish. Social Enterprise Law weaves innovation in contract and corporate governance into powerful protections against insiders sacrificing goals such as environmental sustainability in the pursuit of short-term profits. Creating a stable balance between financial returns and public benefits will allow social entrepreneurs to team up with impact investors that share their vision of a double bottom line. Brakman Reiser and Dean show how novel legal technologies can allow social enterprises to access capital markets, including unconventional sources such as crowdfunding. With its straightforward insights into complex areas of the law, the book shows how a social mission can even be shielded from the turbulence of an acquisition or bankruptcy. It also shows why, as the metrics available to measure the impact of social missions on individuals and communities become more sophisticated, such legal innovations will continue to become more robust. By providing a comprehensive survey of the U.S. laws and a bold vision for how legal institutions across the globe could be reformed, this book offers new insights and approaches to help social enterprises raise the capital they need to flourish. It offers a rich guide for students, entrepreneurs, investors, and practitioners.

This new text deals with topics that are at the core of microeconomic theory - the economics of uncertainty and the economics of games and decisions. It contains a chapter on non-expected utility theory and very up to date coverage of such topics as risk aversion, stochastic dominance and mean-variance utility theory as well as a number of chapters that discuss and illustrate the use of game theory in making decisions under uncertainty.

Economics and the Business Environment is directed at students who will be taking up managerial positions in trade and industry or in government. The economic environment of European companies is central to the book giving students a good impression of recent developments within the European economy.

The theories described enable students to:

• calculate how much competition firms within a particular business sector are exposed to
• analyze the current economic position of a particular country and make exchange rate prognoses
• gauge the effect of the economic environment on business sales and profits.

Complicated analyses and mathematical models have been avoided as much as possible. Instead, diagrams and graphs illustrate the causal relationships between economic factors, making this book an ideal primer for those needing the basics of economics for their business degree.

This book collects results from ad hoc surveys on firms pricing behavior conducted in 2003 and 2004 by nine National central banks of the Euro area in the context of a joint research project (Eurosystem Inflation Persistence Network). These surveys have proved to be an efficient way to test theories on the pricing strategies of economic agents, documenting, in qualitative terms, the underlying rationale of the observed pricing patterns. The book provides an unprecedented amount of information from more than 11,000 euro area firms, addressing issues such as the relevance of nominal and real rigidities, the information set used by firms in the price setting process, the strategy followed to review prices, the frequency of both price reviews and price changes, the reasons underlying price stickiness, and asymmetries in price adjustment. It also compares results for the euro area to those obtained for other countries by similar studies. Finally, it draws the main implications for theoretical modeling and for monetary policy.

With the economy currently in turmoil, understanding how businesses and consumers interact is more important than ever for business owners and students of economics, alike. A handy, fluff-free resource tool, our 3-panel (6-page) guide simplifies the world of microeconomics through the use of definitions, formulas and full-color tables and charts."

Take your first learning steps in the essential Principles of Economics and follow in the footsteps of all leading economists! Economics touches almost every aspect of life: from climate change to terrorism, taxes to house prices, and wages to how much time one spends studying! Economics 11th edition retains the hallmarks of previous editions, providing a detailed overview of the principles of economics, showcasing how economic theories apply to real-world data, recent events, and examples. Specific features such as 'Economics in Action' and 'Economics in the News' incorporate the latest developments in Eurozone and UK policy, including Brexit and the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. The text aims at helping you think like an economist, enabling you to evaluate economic policies, understand human behaviour, develop critical thinking skills and make more informed decisions. Take your first learning steps like all leading economists once did with a course in the principles of economics, and learn to think like an economist with this comprehensive text! Personalise learning with MyLab (R) Economics. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab Economics personalises the learning experience and improves results for each student. Parkin, Powell & Matthews, Economics (European), 11th edition PLUS MyLab Economics with eText access card Pack (9781292424767) consists of: 9781292424750 Economics, 11e (print book) 9781292424774 MyLab Economics Instant Access Card 9781292424781 MyLab Economics eText Pearson, the world's learning company. NOTE: Before purchasing, check with your instructor to confirm the correct ISBN. Several versions of the MyLab (R) and Mastering (R) platforms exist for each title, and registrations are not transferable. To register for and use MyLab or Mastering, you may also need a Course ID, which your instructor will provide. If purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson, the access codes for the MyLab platform may not be included, may be incorrect, or may be previously redeemed. Check with the seller before completing purchase.

This book uses differences in firm and market regulation and organization to explain differences in national economic performance. These differences affect the way in which firms process information, which is crucial to performance. Applying game theory, contract theory, and information theory, Aoki describes the rules and conventions in Japan, the USA, and the transitional economies. He shows how firms can achieveDSand in the case of Japan, maintainDScompetitive advantage in international markets.

Economic Effects of Natural Disasters explores how natural disasters affect sources of economic growth and development. Using theoretical econometrics and real-world data, and drawing on advances in climate change economics, the book shows scholars and researchers how to use various research methods and techniques to investigate and respond to natural disasters. No other book presents empirical frameworks for the evaluation of the quality of macroeconomic research practice with a focus on climate change and natural disasters. Because many of these subjects are so large, different regions of the world use different approaches, hence this resource presents tailored economic applications and evidence.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1954.

Handbook of U.S. Consumer Economics presents a deep understanding on key, current topics and a primer on the landscape of contemporary research on the U.S. consumer. This volume reveals new insights into household decision-making on consumption and saving, borrowing and investing, portfolio allocation, demand of professional advice, and retirement choices. Nearly 70% of U.S. gross domestic product is devoted to consumption, making an understanding of the consumer a first order issue in macroeconomics. After all, understanding how households played an important role in the boom and bust cycle that led to the financial crisis and recent great recession is a key metric.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1968.

Risk Adjustment, Risk Sharing and Premium Regulation in Health Insurance Markets: Theory and Practice describes the goals, design and evaluation of health plan payment systems. Part I contains 5 chapters discussing the role of health plan payment in regulated health insurance markets, key aspects of payment design (i.e. risk adjustment, risk sharing and premium regulation), and evaluation methods using administrative data on medical spending. Part II contains 14 chapters describing the health plan payment system in 14 countries and sectors around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Chile, China, Columbia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland and the United States. Authors discuss the evolution of these payment schemes, along with ongoing reforms and key lessons on the design of health plan payment.

How Behavioral Economics Influences Management Decision-Making: A New Paradigm critically reexamines the management function in 21st century workplaces. The book seeks to examine and explain the real-world behaviors of employees and acknowledge the human nature that binds us all together and how to appeal to these characteristics in order to help organizations prosper. It explores well-observed but rarely understood features of employee cognition and irrationality, challenging the dominant discourse and offering an alternative to gain greater competitive advantage in today's complex markets. It also provides an effective new framework on the best ways to develop relevant management skills as they pertain to hiring, performance management, change management, employee engagement, and goal setting. As the knowledge economy continues to grow, the social bonds within companies will prove to be a key differentiation to deliver on the next big idea. Developing productive decisions with staff in the talent-driven global economy increasingly requires the development of "intrinsic" meaning in work, a human-centered work-place culture, and human-focused working practices. This book tackles these topics in comprehensive and efficient detail.

Times of crisis are unexpected and they bring diverse challenges and opportunities for companies, financial markets, and the economy. On one hand, more risk and uncertainties appear, yet on the other hand, it is an opportunity to reorganize and reinvent the company. It is important for businesses to understand ways to deal with uncertainty and risk in times of economic downturn and what financial strategies and tools can be used to eliminate or reduce the potential negative effects. These effects can reach the company's financial performance, capital structure, as well as cause financial debt and the availability of cash-flow to companies. However, different financial instruments can sustain the business and deal with the difficulties of payment when sales reduce and uncertainty increases; thus, research is essential in this critical area. When economic downturn affects the financial markets, the role of banks, country dynamics, the economy, and many other facets of the business world, financial management becomes the key for business recovery. The Handbook of Research on Financial Management During Economic Downturn and Recovery shares relevant knowledge on challenges and opportunities caused by crises, such as the pandemic, and the effects on economic and financial arenas. The chapters cover topics such as business models to understand how companies react to pandemic and crises situations, as well as how they change their management and way of conducting business. Other important topics include sustainable development, international financial markets, capital structure changes, uncertainty and risk, and governance and leadership. This book is ideal for shareholders, directors and managers, economists, researchers, academics, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in knowledge on topics about challenges in the way that companies, financial markets, financial institutions, and governments respond to risk and uncertainty.

The Economics of Screening and Risk Sharing in Higher Education explores advances in information technologies and in statistical and social sciences that have significantly improved the reliability of techniques for screening large populations. These advances are important for higher education worldwide because they affect many of the mechanisms commonly used for rationing the available supply of educational services. Using a single framework to study several independent questions, the authors provide a comprehensive theory in an empirically-driven field. Their answers to questions about funding structures for investments in higher education, students' attitudes towards risk, and the availability of arrangements for sharing individual talent risks are important for understanding the theoretical underpinnings of information and uncertainty on human capital formation.